Daniela Gissara
Vision Therapist
December 3, 2012 marked the United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The U.N. sets aside December 3 as a day to recognize “the world’s largest minority,” people with disabilities. The initiative, called United Nations enable calls for “removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all.” The Essential Learning Group does a great deal to advance the cause of greater access for people with disabilities in China by ensuring access to a quality education for children with disabilities and significant learning needs in Shanghai, Beijing and Suzhou.
The Essential Learning Group’s core mission is to provide people with the quality of access that they deserve. We think all the time about what we can do to improve the quality of our services. In the past year alone, we have expanded our services to parents of children with Autism. We have introduced social immersion programs for children with Autism. Since my arrival, we have offered services for children with visual impairments.
In many cases, we offer excellent services to children who cannot find a suitable education in regular school environments. In many others, we provide crucial support without which many children would be excluded from regular school environments. The common thread through all this is that The Essential Learning Group ensures that children who may otherwise have been marginalized are given the opportunities that would not have been reachable without a suitable education.